Surtr (Legend of the Guardians)
Surtr, or also better known as Metal Beak, is the main antagonist of the 2010 computer-animated Warner Bros. film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, an adaptation of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole novel series. He is the husband of Nyra, and the leader of the Pure Ones. He was voiced by , who also portrayed Tom Buchanan in the 2013 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Biography Past Metal Beak was originally called Surtr and took part in the battle of the Ice Claws with the Pure Ones against the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. During the battle, Surtr was bested and maimed by a Guardian named Lyze of Kiel, resulting in him wearing a metal mask to cover his facial scars and going under a new name: Metal Beak. ''Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'' Many years later, Metal Beak, his wife Nyra and the rest of the Pure Ones, took over St. Aegolius Acadamy for Orphaned Owls (St. Aggie's for short) and would send out his minions to capture owlets (among them Soren and his brother Kludd, who becomes a Pure One) in order to either convert them into Pure One soldiers or make them pickers to pick through pellets to find flecks to power his device to use against the Guardians. He had made an alliance with Allomere, a Guardian who had became a turnfeather for the Pure Ones as Metal Beak has promised him a portion of the owl kingdoms to rule as King if he helped them. After being given a moonblinked Eglantine and another owlet by Kludd, Allomere returned to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and told the Guardians the Pure Ones plan, which made the Guardians decide to fight them. However, this was part of Metal Beak's plan and when the Guardians arrived, the device was activated and the Guardians were pinned to the ground with it's power. However, Soren and the band arrive to save the Guardians (after Eglantine revealed to him that Kludd had moonblinked her and gave her to Allomere). Seeing the group, Metal Beak believed that they were Guardians, and felt betrayed by Allomere, who was meant to bring all the Guardians. Saying that there was only room for one king, Metal Beak ordered Allomere killed; the treacherous Guardian was then attacked and dragged by several bats. However, unbeknownst to Metal Beak, Allomere had escaped the bats, but was later killed by his former apprentice Shard, after discovering that Allomere killed his parents. Later in the battle, Metal Beak battles Lyze of Kiel (now known as Ezylryb), who despite his age is able to overpower his enemy, until Nyra's arrival. However, before they can kill Ezylryb, Soren arrives with a flaming branch to defeat Metal Beak to stop him destroying another owl's soul, after battling Kludd. The two owls battled, but the veteran warlord is able to overpower the younger owl and swoops at Soren with talons out to kill him. Luckily, Soren is able to grab the branch and stabs Metal Beak through the heart, killing him. Horrified at her husband's death, Nyra gives Soren an angry glare before retreating with the remaining Pure Ones. Near the end of the film, Kludd (who had survived falling into a forest fire during his battle with Soren) comes across Metal Beak's body and gazes down at his fallen leader's mask, possibly taking it for himself. Personality and Traits Surtr was a cold, brutal, sarcastic, manipulative, and ruthless, yet also very charismatic individual. Quotes }} Trivia *Surtr is a character made for the film as in the books, Kludd served as Metal Beak and Nyra's husband. **Owing to his status as the leader of Pure Ones, Surtr may possibly inspired by an unnamed High Tyto whom Kludd killed in the books with aid of Nyra to overthrow Pure Ones' leadership as well as responsible for Kludd's scarred face that forced him to wear the mask. The difference however, the unnamed High Tyto is a Tyto Alba, not Greater Sooty Owls like Surtr. **Additionally in the books, Greater Sooty Owls are the second-lowest ranking Pure Ones (the lowest being Lesser Sooties), and are never promoted past soldiers. *The ending of the film indicated "Metal Beak" to be a title, with Kludd being the next to bear it. This indicated that Kludd will become Metal Beak much like in books, albeit as the second one. **The Metal Beak in the books is never referred to as Metal Beak by his fellow Pure Ones, while in the movie, he takes obvious pride in the title. *Whether or not if Surtr felt truly betrayed by Allomere or if he just wanted to get him out of the way is unknown, though the former is much more likely from his lines, “You should know, Allomere. There is only room for one king!” *He is blind in his left eye; on the other side of his face, he has no feathers, which is strange, as normally one wouldn't have feathers on his or her blind side. This may have been done, however, to make him appear more battle-worn. *Even though it's implied that Surtr lost his whole beak, parts of it are still visible in the movie. Concept art reveals that only a large part of his upper beak is missing. *His real name is only revealed in the film's videogame adaption. **Additionally, the name is derived from the Norse giant of the same name, who is a major figure in the event Ragnarök. "Surtr" in Old Norse means 'black' or 'the swarthy one', which fits Metal Beak due to being a Greater Sooty owl with prominent black to grey feathers. *Jacek Koman, Bill Nighy, and Sam Neill was considered for the role of Metal Beak. 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